If you don't believe that a 30 year old Steinway will bring 3-5 times it's original purchase price, just go try to buy one. USC was paying around $5K (that's not a bulk price - we bought one a year) for new B's in the early 1970s. What do you think they're worth now, unrefurbished? In 1995 (before my time here), we sold a bunch of surplus pianos at auction to make room for our newer ones. All were in "poor" condition as rated by our previous technician. I never saw them, but judging by the ones he kept, they must have been pretty ragged. Here's how the Steinways did: Model Ser. # "Asking" Price Sold For O 186629 (1917) $750.00 $7,200.00 M 349122 (1955) $3,200.00 $4,800.00 B 353898 (1956)* $3,500.00 $6,900.00 B 166722 (1914) $4,500.00 $8,750.00 L 334928 (1951) $3,500.00 $7,750.00 B 125549 (1907) $4,500.00 $8,600.00 1098 360396 (1958) $600.00 $2,000.00 * There is a discrepancy in our records. In one place the ser. # is 853898, an obvious misprint. In service records, it is 53898, placing the manuf. date in 1883. However the university inventory control number is near another Steinway from the 1956 time frame, so I'm thinking it's possible a 3 could have been mistaken for an 8 somewhere in the process. I wasn't here, so I don't know which number is correct. Service records indicate that the 1098 had been vandalized at one point. Here's how the lone Yamaha did: P202 U126071 (1980) $500.00 $600.00 (yes, that would be below the original purchase price) Baldwin Hamiltons brought from $75.00 to $400.00. Recently, we were offered an opportunity to purchase a 1949 Steinway S for $12K. We didn't get it because she sold it before we could locate a donor (about 3 days). Show me where a standard production 50-plus-year-old 5'1" Yamaha or Kawai grand will bring that kind of money. I really don't understand this thread of hatred I'm hearing for Steinway products, and I certainly don't understand the overblown enthusiasm for lesser priced instruments which I've never seen stand up to the punishment the Steinway products can handle. Yes, Steinways are expensive, but they tend to pay for themselves. Jeff >Given this new creation of the Steinway Legend Development Department, >namely, the >"Ultimate Investment," I do not understand why Steinway continues to sell >their >pianos. It seems they would do better just to stockpile them and watch their >investments grow! > >Ed Sutton > >_______________________________________________ >caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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